Most device chargers aren't particularly energy efficient. The bulky black boxes slowly suck energy even when you're not charging, but this novel charging station ends that waste.

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If you've ever unplugged a charging plug for your cell phone, camera, or other small electronics and noticed how warm it was, even without a device attached, you witnessed a bit of wasted energy. "Wall warts", as they're sometimes called, draw a slow, steady trickle of electricity from the wall, even when not in use.

This wastefulness bothered Alberto, an engineer by trade and tinkerer at heart, so he set about designing an intuitive charging station that would be as energy-efficient as possible. We've shown you how to make a charging station with charge-killing switches, but Alberto's design is significantly more elegant. The charging station he designed is a box based on a reverse switch, like a refrigerator light. Open the box and current flows to the charging cable; unplug your device, close the box, and no current flows to the wasteful charging plug at all.

If you liked the previously mentioned DIY IKEA charging station but wanted a more energy-efficient…
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While Alberto cautions that his design is a proof of concept, and he lightly cautions against building your own (for child safety, primarily, due to easy-to-expose wires) the photos on the site form a ready guide, and anyone with basic knowledge of electrical wiring could build one. But to echo Alberto's well-placed caution, this isn't something you can do with chewing gum and duct tape; you'd need to be comfortable and competent with household wiring to build your own green charging station. For more details including abundant pictures and instructions, check out the link below.